Falling Leaves
by winkawinkamika
Summary: Falling in love sucks especially when there is no one to catch you. Sometimes you fall for the most unexpected person and do not know it until it is too late. And sometimes you fall for the person who picks up after Prince Charming drops you.
1. Chapter 1

**SUMMARY**: It has been said that only fools fall in love. So what if they were fools stumbling on their own feet caught under the same spell? Hinata likes Naruto, Naruto is head over heels for Sakura, Sakura has been in love with Sasuke since forever, and Sasuke could care less. Love is complicated and no one ever said it was going to be easy finding Prince Charming and Miss Perfect. The course of true love never did run smooth.

**A/N**: This story has been hindering me for a while now and I can't write my other fanfics. So I want this out of my system so I can write. I am not good at writing Naruto fics. By the way, this is my first Naruto fic. You have been warned.

**For oh-tangled**, you might not want to read this one by the way. It involves my favorite character, Hinata whom you dislike with such burning passion (and don't get why). It's a _crack_-ship (that I enjoy reading and you should give it a try because there are good stories out there that you could learn from their writing style), and I don't want you to yell at me either. It's _fiction_. So don't get on my case till your lovely _Captive Bride_ is finished or I'll find a new buddy. Highly recommend to read if you like Austin & Ally or simply need a good dark story to read.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO.**

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><p>Love is an undeniable madness that everyone wants to get a piece of. All is fair in love and war, correct? This is a story, a tragic love story of an unrequited love. Technically, it's a very complicated love polygon that you don't want to get messed up in. Each of their fates intertwines with one another with a red string wrapped around their lives. Their lives are tangled with each other. It's up to them to unravel the confused mess. But with what they find, will they be happy with it?<p>

It begins with a harmless crush. Hinata Hyuga was the new transfer student. She fit perfectly well in the background. No one noticed her and she didn't try to be noticed by people. The only people she would associate with was her old friends that remembered her and her older cousin and his lively friends. She would giggle at their many antics. However, she found a safe haven for herself where she could be by herself, the library. She would read anything. It was her escape from the harsh realities of the world. It kept her sane and lifted her spirits every time she received a report from her father. She strove to make him proud by trying her best in all her classes. Whenever she fell short of his expectations, this was her escape from all the pressure she faced on a regular basis.

After all, she was a Hyuga. Nothing less could be expected from the Hyuga heiress. Her older cousin- who was from the lower branch- was considered a genius and at a young age her own sister showed to posses more skill than she. Expectations had to be met! Nothing less could be expected of her. Still, she fell short in her father's eyes even though she was considered an elite student. Here in the books she read, she can forget all her problems. The pages of the book can take her across from the vast oceans to China, New York, Paris, Greece, Ancient Rome, or perhaps the days of medieval knights trying to slay the dragon to rescue the princess. She could taste the exotic food described on the pages, smell the salty ocean, marvel at the princess's endearing beauty-

Her favorite genre was by far romance.

"_Poets often describe love as an emotion that we can't control, one that overwhelms logic and common sense. That's what it was like for me. I didn't plan on falling in love with you, and I doubt if you planned on falling in love with me. But once we met, it was clear that neither of us could control what was happening to us. We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created. For me, love like that has happened only once, and that's why every minute we spent together has been seared in my memory. I'll never forget a single moment of it."_

Hinata sighed as she read the excerpt from one of her favorite books, _The Notebook_. She often fantasized about falling in love. What girl wouldn't dream of finding Mr. Perfect? She was certain that she found him but he didn't know that she even existed.

His tan skin, sunshine hair, deep blue eyes full of life, always speaking his mind, beautiful smile, kind heart, energetic, friendly, never afraid of failure…

Hinata had developed a little crush on Naruto Uzamaki. At first it was a simple admiration but she soon became mesmerized by everything he did. From his silly smiles and goofy pranks to his determination to succeed. As time passed, she felt that it grew to something more as she followed him around and it was only two weeks! It was like it was love at first sight for her when their eyes first met in class. Every time he was close she would get weak in the knees, began to stutter more foolishly (if that was even possible), her face was beet red, and she began to tremble so much that she would often faint. It was just like she was living a moment from one of her favorite books or mangas.

The first time she spoke to him was in the same library. She was looking for a good book to read and asked a librarian for a good book. The woman pointed her in the direction and she followed it to a spot in the corner. As she fingered the spines of the book she heard an all too familiar voice so she followed it. Naruto was there along with a raven haired male. Hinata remembered him. He was in a few of her classes and was quite popular with the female population at school.

"That is hardly a book to be read for a book report," the raven haired boy stated.

The blonde held out his book exclaiming, "_The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_ is too! The author told me himself." Hinata smiled as Naruto's face beamed with happiness and determination.

"Tck," he scoffed.

"Don't you think so, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked.

Hinata froze on the spot. How did he know her name? She didn't even have the courage to talk to him. She had read the book before. It was categorized in fiction and had little historical facts about it. There were legends and myths involved but hardly any historical base.

Before she could say anything, the raven haired boy spoke up. "Check-out your damn book and let's go."

"Fine, teme," Naruto rolled his eyes. "See ya around, Hinata-chan."

Okay, so maybe Hinata didn't speak an audible word to him but does a nod and wave count?

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><p>For as long as Naruto could remember, Sakura Haruno was the girl for him. She was pretty, smart, tough, funny, and surpassed perfection. He had the biggest crush on her when they were little. And for as long as Naruto could remember, Sakura only had eyes for his best friend, Sasuke. Sasuke never gave her the time of day. He would never understand why Sasuke was so mean to her. Every time Sasuke would hurt her feelings, he would get angry inside.<p>

_How could anyone dislike Sakura-chan!_

No matter how many times that Sakura rejected him, he hoped that he would get through to her. She had softened up to him a bit over the years and wouldn't hit him as much. The three were friends for as long as he could remember. He hated losing to Sasuke wouldn't let Sasuke win Sakura over.

Naruto wasn't sure if Sakura remembered the first time they met in elementary school. He recently moved from Whirlpool country and no one really talked to him tom him. Everyone would tease him about the birthmark on his face. They called him old for having whiskers on his face. Sakura was kind to him and assured him that things would get better and shared her experience of getting teased because of her large forehead. She promised that he would be able to make friends in the Leaf, and she was right. He was seven years old at the time and his feelings for her never wavered since then. It was a time when like would be confused with love.

Naruto was determined to make Sakura fall in love with him. However, her happiness was his happiness. If she was truly happy with Sasuke, he would forever back off. But his feelings for her never would waver. He hoped that Sasuke would see Sakura the way he did for Sakura's sake, but dreaded that day as well. Once Sasuke realizes how great his Sakura-chan was, it was all over for him.

Naruto's eyes lit up as he spotted pink locks and emerald eyes. "Sakura-chan!"

"Have you seen Sasuke-kun?" she asked. Naruto's heart sunk a bit.

"No," he answered a little disheartened.

"It's odd for him to be so late," she answered. Sasuke was always early and was usually one of the first people in class.

"Isn't it obvious?" Ino asked as she made her entrance into the classroom. "He's obviously trying to avoid you, Billboard!"

"What did you say, Ino-pig?" there was a dark aura around these two girls as they began to argue over their precious Sasuke-kun.

"Face it, you have no chance with Sasuke, Sakura," Ino informed as she flipped her gorgeously, long, blonde locks.

"And you do, Pig?" Sakura asked, a deathly aura emanating out of her body.

Naruto got up from his seat to go search for his friend. Sasuke was raised as an Uchiha and they were never late to anything. It was indeed odd for Sasuke not to be present in class. Even Shikamaru beat him to the classroom!

Naruto searched the hallways and finally found him sitting on the steps of the school's entrance with his head buried in his hands.

"Sasuke, you okay?" Naruto asked as he looked at his friend. He looked like he was in distress and Naruto was a bit foreign to this. The stoic teen seemed to be flustered or embarrassed just like whenever Itachi would poke his forehead.

"I'm fine," he barked at him with an unusual shade of red.

"Teme, you're face is all red," Naruto pointed out. "Do you have a fever? Are you sick? Let me take you to the nurse's office."

"Leave me alone, dobe," he said in anger as he got up. "I'm not sick!"

Sasuke hated it when people pointed out the obvious and he hated that his face was still red because of an idiot move. He didn't care about being called an egotistical bastard or stuck up dick. Right now, he felt like shit and didn't like the feeling and it wasn't because he was sick.

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><p>Sasuske Uchiha was highly perceptive of his surroundings. His numerous fan girls made him that way. Those monsters were always after him and he was always on the run for it. He remained vigilant and conscious of his surroundings. So you can't blame him when he noticed an indigo hair girl following him around and staring at him like some creeper. He had plenty of stalkers and he didn't want another animalistic follower like Karin, the self-proclaimed President of his fanclub.<p>

No matter what he did, his fanclub seemed to get bigger with each passing day. Girls from other schools would come to confess to him. The young teen went to the extent to ask for advice from Itachi's lesser friends. Hidan told him that girls don't like nice guys. He tried being nice and his fanclub grew exponentially. Itachi and Sasori told him to ignore them and that they would stop. He tried it for a while but it didn't stop the growing numbers. Kisame told him to be a jerk to girls which didn't work out too well as the numbers still began to grow. He wouldn't dare follow Tobi's advice. Besides, Sasuke would never be put in a category with Naruto as annoying prankster.

In his opinions, it was creepy and disturbing how these girls acted. He caught this indigo haired girl following him in all of his most secretive places such as the library where he caught her on several occasions peering behind bookcases, Naruto's house (girls never checked Naruto's place for his presence), spying on him behind an oak tree as he participated in sports, and that stupid ramen shop that Naruto would drag him to. He knew that she was the new transfer student and that is it, but did she find all of his secretive places in a month. Not even his most dedicated followers knew that info.

It was time to put this foolishness away. So when Sasuke found her in the hallway, he pulled her aside to confront her about it.

"Hey!" a masculine voice called to her. She turned around and her face stood aghast.

"Uh. H-hey," she squeaked.

"Don't hey me, you stalker," cold onyx eyes stared with a hard fixed stare. She was obviously terrified.

"H-huh?" she was deeply frightened, especially to be alone with him of all people. It was Naruto-kun's scary friend.

"Could you stop following me around like some creeper?" he asked. "It seems that everywhere I go, I see your stupid, pathetic face. I have enough fan girls as it is, I don't need you."

"H-hai," the girl stuttered as she bowed her head. "I-I d-don't understand."

"Don't give me that crap," his face with a stony yet annoyed expression.

"Y-you m-must be mis-mistaken," her stutter growing terribly worse with each passing syllable.

An annoyed scoff escaped his lips at the thought of the thought of him making a mistake. That _rarely_ happened. He wasn't mistaken at all. This girl may have thought she was discreet about having feelings for him but it was as obvious as an elephant in the room.

"Are you stupid?" he questioned. "This has been happening for weeks now. Just last week, you followed me to Konaha Park and again the other day. Do you say that it is coincidence that you just so happen to go to the same damned Ramen shop every time I'm there? Do you live in two houses? One that lives by Naruro and how the hell you even managed to get into the Eastern Gates of Konaha is beyond me. Above all else, stop staring at me with those creepy eyes of yours during class!"

The girl's trembling was a good sign to him. It meant that he probably scared the shit out of her. In all honesty, he didn't mean to be so cruel. Her heart was destined to be broken when she decided that she proclaimed to herself that she "loved" him. It was now or later.

Her face heated up from being caught (he deduced that). She began to quiver like an idiot as she bowed her head to the ground.

He scoffed. Her stutter was annoying him beyond compare her face was red probably from being so close to him. It was typical for girls to get all red like that. Her presence annoyed her to no ends. His senses were sharper than most. Being attacked and followed by numerous girls was to blame. Could you blame him? Most of his fangirls would make their presence known so that he would notice them. This one was different, she hid behind objects to get closer to him. Did she think that she could creep up on him and attack him? Boy was she wrong, so here he was confronting her now.

"I a-apologize for c-causing you any di-disturbance," she stammered.

That was much easier than he thought. Most of the girls he dealt with would throw themselves at his feet begging him to give them another chance. He hoped that she wouldn't make him any chocolates for an apology. With the way she was shaken, he didn't have to worry about it.

Satisfied with his work, he turned around and smirked to himself. The girl should thank him later in the future for him doing such a favor. This was the new transfer student was bound to fall for him when she walked foot on campus. It's best that he annihilate all feelings she had for him. He began to walk away when her soft voice spoke. It was barely audible but he heard every single stutterless word she said, his hand covering his reddening face.

"Nii-san," she began, "who is that strange boy?"

"It's best that you not associate with the likes of him, Hinata-sama," the brown haired boy answered. "Did he hurt you?"

"N-no, but who is he?" she asked again.

"You don't need to know," he answered. "All you need to know it that he's an Uchiha. You shouldn't foolishly think about someone like him. You need to get to class or you'll be tardy."

"Hai!" she exclaimed as she obeyed him and went straight to her class not even noticing the Uchiha standing behind a wall with his hand covering his red face.

She was the second person that made him feel like an idiot, and he didn't like that one bit.

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><p><strong>AN**: This was the spur of the moment thing to clear my head. I'm not sure if I'll continue it. If you want more, rate, review, PM me. Sorry for any mistakes.

Till next time!

Constructive criticism is always welcomed.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I was surprised to receive interest in my first Naruto FanFic. Thank you for the encouragement and reviews.

****oh-tangled: ****I could care less about what you've got to say to me. It'll be SasuHina month soon, so don't bug me about this crack-ship. You don't even know the woes of being a crack-shipper.

**Guest (1): **Thanks for reviewing, you really made me happy. You don't have to worry about Sakura being a bitch because I love her character. I can assure you that, I'm not the kind of person to bash. Sakura will play a more important role, later on, but for now she's a minor character. Most of the stories I have written are for Fairy Tail and I usually put my own twists to the story line to make it mine. This is my first time actually writing/publishing a Naruto fic.

**ReadingGurl07**: Thanks for the encouragement.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO.**

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><p>Naruto knew something was off about his raven haired friend. Sasuke seemed more agitated than usual. The stick that was normally stuck up his ass seemed to be shoved up way more up than usual and must have hit a nerve. Naruto couldn't figure out why Sasuke was acting so differently. Naruto noticed the Uchiha's strange behavior when they went out for ramen. It was making Naruto's ramen taste bad watching Sasuke in a more than pissed off mood twenty-four seven. He even witnessed the Uchiha turn red at some moments. Sasuke would scowl more often and his frown was more apparent than usual. Naruto could only trace it to the encounter with the new girl which was about a month ago. As his friend, Naruto needed to figure why Sasuke was so irked at even the most calming places. All seemed to be linked to the new girl.<p>

"Oi, teme!" Naruto called once after Naruto was done reading his book. The two were alone in the library.

"Leave me alone!" he snapped. "I'm trying to read. Something _you_ should be doing too."

"Trying to read my ass!" Naruto exclaimed. "You haven't been reading at all."

"That's because you're so fucking annoying," Sasuke answered.

"For the record, teme," Naruto began in a prideful voice, "I've been quiet for a whole ten minutes reading _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_."

"That's hardly anything to be proud of," Sasuke informed.

Naruto ignored his rude comment. _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi _was an amazing manga, his absolute favorite to be exact! There was action, comedy, romance, history, angst, and did he mention action? How could anyone hate on it? "Anyways, I caught you stealing glances at a girl."

"You must be crazy, dobe," Sasuke said as he rolled his eyes.

"I'm afraid not," Naruto countered.

"Oh, really," Sasuke challenged entertaining the blond with his casual smirk.

"Yep," he said with his funny grin. "I caught you looking at the new girl, eight times." Naruto pointed to the blushing girl who hid her face in a book. Instantly, Sasuke's smirk fell once he noticed who the girl was. "There it is again!"

"What?" Sasuke barked.

"Every time you happened to look at her, you scowl and frown just like that!" Naruto pointed out. There was a moment of silence as the Uchiha looked at him with disbelief. Sasuke always scowled and frowned. He rarely ever smiled at anything or anyone. "So, are you interested in the new girl?"

"You really are a dumbass," Sasuke told him.

"Is that a yes?" Naruto asked.

"No," he answered with growing aggravation.

"Do you know her name?"

"No."

"Do you want to go talk to her?"

"No."

"Do you want me to talk to her for you?"

"No."

"Do you like her?"

"No."

"Do you think she's cute?"

"No."

"Did she do anything to piss you off?"

"No."

"Is she one of your fan girls?"

"No."

"Wow! To think there's a girl that's immune to Sasuke Uchiha's charm!" Naruto exclaimed in disbelief further ticking off the Uchiha boy.

"Just shut up and read your goddamn book!" Sasuke barked at him.

There was silence for about two minutes before Naruto opened his mouth once again. Naruto couldn't help himself. His ebony haired friend was the most coveted student with his looks, brilliance, and athletic ability. He was curious about Sasuke's love life, or lack of. He always avoided contact with females and hardly ever gave them a single glance. However, Naruto caught Sasuke giving a girl eight- now nine glances! He had just caught another frown and glance towards the indigo haired girl who looked as red as ever. Perhaps, Sasuke just needed help in that area.

"You sure you don't want to go talk to her?" Naruto asked raising a suggestive eyebrow.

"I'm sure of it, Naruto," Sasuke said, his voice still pissed as ever.

"You're absolutely positive about it?" he asked again elbowing Sasuke's side which earned Naruto a deathly glare. Sasuke did not like being touched at all, nor did he like where Naruto was taking this discussion. "You might not ever find a girl like her. Plus she's really pretty."

"If you think she's so pretty, why don't you go talk to her!" Sasuke countered.

Naruto sat there for a minute and thought about it before speaking up. "You know what, I will!" he exclaimed with a triumphant look in his face.

Sasuke watched his blond friend from his seat. Naruto approached the indigo haired girl that had cause of their discussion. The girl's face seemed to redden with a tinge of pink as Naruto talked to her. Sasuke could tell that she was genuinely happy. The girl looked was red as a tomato and Naruto didn't seem to notice the effect he had on her. The girl's smile faltered as it turned to an uncharacteristic frown. Naruto returned long after with a sheepish grin.

"Her name is Hinata," Naruto informed.

Silence. Sasuke didn't care.

"She's like the exact opposite of you."

More silence. Still didn't care.

Naruto scratched the back of his head and gave him a nervous smile, "Sorry, teme," he began.

To think that a girl refused to go on a date with the school's number one heart throb, Sasuke, even existed! It further surprised Naruto that she didn't know _the_ Sasuke. There were students that transferred to Leaf Academy just because Sasuke was there. All of them wanting a shot to be Sasuke's woman.

"She's not interested in you," Naruto informed. "She refused to go on a date with _the_ Sasuke Uchiha of Leaf Academy.

"Has your brain turned to ramen noodles?!" Sasuke exclaimed.

Sasuke wasn't upset at the fact that this _Hinata _refused to go out on a date with him, the school's number one heart throb. Sasuke could have any damn girl he wanted. Girls transferred to Leaf Academy in hopes to be his woman! No, Sasuke was pissed because _Naruto_ had tried to set him up without his consent and he had the stupid notion that he was interested in some plain looking girl.

"Aww, Sasuke, don't be like that," Naruto patted Sasuke's back which earned him another glare. "Don't let rejection get the best of you. You'll get through to her-"

"I don't give a fuck, Naruto," Sasuke informed, anger etched in each syllable. "I never even said that I liked her."

Somehow, the blonde teen didn't seem to notice as he began to blabber more. "Look at me with Sakura! She'll eventually come to like me. She has softened up to me these past years. People say there are more fish out at sea but sometimes you find the one, you know? You find the right fish and yo-"

Sasuke growled with frustration at his friend and slammed his text book shut; his face, red with anger at the dobe. "You really are a dumbass!" Sasuke flatly stated. Sasuke was not interested in someone as pathetic as that. He was tired of Naruto's antics, so he stormed off.

"Sasuke-_kun_, I was wondering if you could help me-" Sakura stopped when Sasuke marched right passed her with an angry scowl. Sakura turned to see Naruto stunned.

That's when it hit Naruto hard. "Ow!" he cried as his hand rubbed the growing bump on his head. "Sakura, don't hit me so hard."

"Naruto!" she snapped. "What did you do to Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto couldn't help but laugh though. He didn't know why he was laughing at Sasuke. Sasuke could have any other girl he wanted except for this one. Oddly enough, Hinata seemed to have no interest in the school's heart throb. They were total opposites. It was humorous how Naruto found the situation. Fits of laughter just kept coming out of him.

Sasuke was his best friend and best friends help each other out. A wave of obligation swept over Naruto. He had to help his deficient friend. Still, the laughs kept on coming. He couldn't believe it. To think he'd see the day when Sasuke falls!

_Sasuke is in love._

It was only reasonable for him to do so. Sasuke didn't know how to act around girls because he kept pushing them away.

"Ow! Stop that," he cried as Sakura whacked him his book, _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_.

"You have to apologize to Sasuke-kun for whatever dumb thing you did to tick him off," she said. "Who am I going to ask for help in Physics?"

"You could always ask me," Naruto volunteered.

"If I wanted to fail that course, I would have asked you," Sakura remarked. "You need help in that class too."

"We could always ask, Ino," Naruto suggested.

Sakura cringed. She wouldn't go to her rival for help. Ino was extremely smart, she gave her that. Ino could easily have been one of the top students if she wanted to but Ino was set on impressing Sasuke and wouldn't score as high on purpose, afraid of being seen as a nerd in his eyes.

"Dickless, Ugly," the two fighting teens looked up to see Sai. One of the few things the blond and pink haired teens shared in common was their dislike in nicknames they received from Sai. "What is wrong with Prince Charming today?"

"Sasuke's in love," he sang over and over again like an elementary school kid.

The best part of it- they could hardly believe it.

"So Prince Charming isn't asexual," Sai pondered.

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><p>Now because of his idiot, Naruto, he knew her name which he didn't want to know.<p>

Sasuke was pissed. He didn't care if he ignored Sakura or that he bumped into Sai. He just wanted to avoid _her. _And now because of that idiot, the girl had a name._  
><em>

_Hinata_...

Sasuke disliked his conscience very much. He loved his mother dearly, but did she really have to install a conscience in him? His mother was at fault here. She taught him that when you wrong someone, you must apologize to them. So why was it so hard for him? One: Sasuke never apologized because he was never at fault. Two: his Uchiha pride wouldn't allow it . He refused to condescend to that no name weakling and stuttering buffoon. It was a simple misunderstanding, right? You couldn't blame him for having such assumptions. It was a plausible reason for why she was always around.

Since their last encounter where Sasuke accused her to be one of his fan girls, he began to notice her more. This wallflower stood out to him in the mass of his screaming fans. She was a sore thumb. Quiet and reserved screamed louder to gain his attention than Naruto yelling at him. Plain and simple caught his eyes among the flashy and little covered girls that followed him.

All the little things she would do began to irritate him. Her good marks (he didn't care because he too got good marks) in class, the way her fingers would fidget at the hem of her skirt when she was nervous, the way she would avoid eye contact with everyone, her absurdly long hair, the little stutter of her shy and gentle voice, or like how her tongue would childishly stick out during art class as she drew a picture, or how colorless her doe-like eyes looked. The purity she aired herself was a joke. She must have some sort of flaw. Murphy's Law demanded it!

Sasuke could not believe that he was paying attention to some nobody, to this girl who lacked a single ounce of confidence. The more that Sasuke had put off his apology, the more her presence irked him. She didn't even have to mutter a single word to annoy the crap out of him. She was just there and he hated it. He despised how she made him feel like an egotistical bastard. Well, he was fine being an egotistical bastard. What he was not okay with was how she made him feel like an idiot just like how Itachi would do the same. He was a genius, a mater of all trades, the best at everything, he was a goddamn Uchiha of the finest quality! He was not an idiot. Yet, he made himself look like a fool in front of that _girl_. He should care less about her.

Then, Sasuke figured it out. Sasuke scoffed at the realization. Those lavender tinted eyes filled with admiration that he accused for staring at him were staring at the person right next to him, Naruto Uzumaki. It was painstakingly obvious. You didn't have to be a genius to figure that out (unless you're Naruto). This weird girl had a crush on the densest human being on the planet whom was madly in love Sakura. It was a love triangle. Indigo haired girl likes Naruto, Naruto like Sakura, Sakura likes Sasuke, and Sasuke could care less.

However, his conscious wouldn't allow him to sleep knowing that he had wronged somebody, a _nobody_ to be exact. It messed up his behavior pattern and it went noticed by the blond dobe. Still, Sasuke felt the need to apologize for his rude words and false accusations. But his pride would not allow him to say the foul word. So he found his own way to apologize. He would simply help the weird girl who liked Naruto. That was his way of apologizing. Everyone would end up happy, and so _Hinata_ would vanish from his thoughts for good.

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><p><strong>AN: **I'll try by best to update as soon as I can. I'm a sporadic writer so no promises. But I can promise SasuHina and NaruSaku in the end.

Rate and Review!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Thank you for the wonderful reviews. This is Hinata's POV from the event from last chapter when Naruto and Hinata were talking while Sasuke observed from the side. Also, I fixed the little blips I made in the previous chapters. I have nothing to say to you **oh-tangled**. I'm in a good mood, so let me enjoy this crack in peace. Love ya, lazy dug. :P

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO.**

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><p><em>You can do this!<em> Hinata inwardly told herself again and again. Tenten was one of her closest friends, and she was currently helping her get over her timidity and shyness. Tenten was the boldest person she knew. _You can do this! _she repeatedly told herself. _Just say hi. _Tenten had told her to simply say hi to Naruto and Naruto would carry out a conversation since he was quite the chatterbox.

Hinata had been watching Naruto from a far reading his favorite books. With each step she took, she was closing the long gap between them. The school's library seemed a lot larger than she remembered.

_Almost there! Just say hi._

Naruto was supposed to be studying for the physics test but Naruto decided to read a book, _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_, after completing question two.

Each step she took encouraged herself to keep going. Her face was burning a bright red. Her mission was quickly aborted when she noticed that a certain _someone_ was sitting next to him. She didn't mind the raven haired teen who sat next to him but he sort of scared her. With one deathly glare from him, Hinata retreated to a nearby book case to hide herself and grabbed the nearest book to shield her burning face. Wouldn't you be afraid of someone like that?

The confrontation last week with the ebony haired male frazzled the little heiress. She admits, that she was extremely terrified when he falsely accused for being a stupid fangirl and creepy stalker. It was a simple misunderstanding. The Uchiha was really popular among the female population. He probably had mistaken her for someone else. She didn't find the Uchiha appealing. Yes, he is very attractive. Hinata would give him that, but she couldn't see why the girls would fawn over him. Hinata was not a fangirl and she was certainly not a stalking him.

However, his accusations made her realize how much time she followed Naruto around without him knowing. By definition, she was a _creepy_ _stalker_.

Hinata buried her face deeper in her book at the sudden revelation.

_I am a stalker._

Hinata looked up from her book and quickly hid behind it when ebony eyes pierced through her, again. She didn't understand why the Uchiha disliked her so much, and did her best to avoid any contact with him. That seemed to be challenging seeing how Naruto would always hang out with Uchiha-san and the pink haired beauty. Hinata wished she was more Hyuga like, courageous, confident, and such. Hinata didn't like how timid and shy she was. Her father had told her countless time that she should be proud to be a Hyuga, that she was the heiress. But, that was the thing. She wasn't a strong, outspoken leader like her father. She was gentle.

Hinata was a hopeless mess. A few weeks ago, she couldn't bring herself to be in a three meter radius of the blonde. Last week, she was able to be within the close proximity when they so happened to past by each other in the hallways or when they had to sit next to each other in class. Now, she was back to square one all because the Uchiha terrified her and he was always around Naruto.

Naruto and the Uchiha looked like that they were busy talking. It looked more like arguing than anything. Perhaps, she should talk to Naruto tomorrow when the raven haired boy wasn't around.

_Tomorrow, tomorrow for sure!_

Hinata placed the book bag on the shelf and turned around to leave when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around to face the object of her affection, Naruto Uzumaki. Her face turned beat red. She certainly did not expect this to happen.

"Hey," he greeted

Hinata was shocked to say the least. Words seemed to fail her. So much for practicing how to say hi to him. Naruto was so close to her that she could faint, well hopefully she wouldn't. That would be very embarrassing.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" he introduced himself as he pointed to himself.

Hinata never imagined that this would happen. Never had she imagined that Naruto would approach her first just to talk to her. "H-Hinata H-Hyuga," she squeaked. She didn't mean to squeak. Hyugas were taught to never squeak. They were supposed to be assertive. The Hyuga speech that Tenten gave her confidence but the confidence she had gained seemed to disappear as deep cerulean eyes looked at her opal ones. She couldn't move at all.

"Hyuga?" his brows arched as he gave her a questioning look. "Didn't know that Neji had a little sister."

"C-cousin," she answered. It was easily mistaken fact due to how close they were. They did share a few similarities with their eyes and fair skin but they were complete opposites. She wished her stutter would go away. It was childish. The only time Hinata would stutter would be when she was nervous or scared, and she was deeply nervous talking with her crush.

"That's so cool!" he exclaimed giving her one of his beautiful signature smiles.

_Don't faint! Don't faint! _she told herself over. _You can do this Hinata! You are a Hyuga!_

Words seemed to fail her as she was only able to smile back.

"Have you been to Ramen Ichiraku?" he asked.

Hinata nodded her head. She had wandered there when she was tagged along with him, you know from a distance without him knowing in a non-_stalkerish_ way.

"You don't talk much do you?" Naruto asked.

Hinata wanted to hide behind a book so Naruto wouldn't see how red her face is but she couldn't. Tenten's voice rang through her head encouraging her to talk to him. Anyone could talk to Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto was the friendlies person on campus. There was no need to shy away from someone so nice.

"I-It's a good a place to eat." she blurted, her heart racing.

"Isn't it!" he exclaimed. His eyes beamed with joy at finding someone who liked his favorite restaurant. "My favorite is the miso ramen with extra pork."

"I l-like their red bean s-soup," she informed with a smile.

"Sasuke doesn't like it. He says it's too sweet for him. Do you know Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

"S-Sasuke?" she asked giving him a confused look.

"You know, _the_ Sasuke," Naruto emphasized as he pointed to the raven haired teen staring at the two.

"I have met Uchiha-san," Hinata informed as red tinted her cheeks as she remembered the confrontation. It was easier to talk to Naruto then she had imagined. Hinata began to wonder what she was so scared about.

"He's a great guy, isn't he?" Naruto couldn't believe he was saying such things. The things he would do for his friends! Sasuke better thank him.

"He seems so," Hinata answered her face reddened at remembering their last encounter. It was embarrassing and scary. However, Naruto interpreted the embarrassed face as a red blush.

"He looks angry and he's a bit scary," Hinata confessed.

Naruto glanced over to the pissed-off looking Uchiha. He definitely understood what Hinata meant but he couldn't help but laugh at Hinata's statement. His laugh caught Hinata off guard. Did she say something wrong?

"He's just jealous because I'm the one talking to a pretty girl and he's not," Naruto assured with a smile.

Hinata's face turned four shades of red as her head screamed, _"Naruto-kun thinks I'm pretty!"_

"He's not that bad once you get to know the teme," Naruto informed.

Hinata was seriously on cloud nine. She was having a conversation with her crush who just called her pretty! This day couldn't possibly get any better. She couldn't wait to tell Tenten and Hanabi but Neji couldn't find out. Her overly protective cousin would flip. She remembered when she was six and she told Neji who her crush was. As Hinata's older and wiser cousin and protector, Neji took it as his personal responsibility (after Hinata's mother made Neji promise) to always protect her. Neji told the boy that he better not hurt Hinata. Afterwards, the boy never associated with her. It didn't stop there, however.

"I-I'm sure he is, Naruto-kun," Hinata answered.

"I got an idea!" Naruto exclaimed with a shine in his blue eyes. "Why don't we go to the Ramen Ichiraku, sometime?" This was happening all too fast for Hinata.

"Sure," she answered. Her face began to heat up and she began to fidget with the hem of her skirt. Nartuo couldn't be asking on her date, was he?

"Great!" Naruto exclaimed. "It'll be a group date." Hinata couldn't contain her joy as she began to smile. The little girl inside of her began to dance around with spilling joy. Naruto asked on an outing. He said _date_! "You and-"

Hinata thought her heart was going to burst and that she might even faint at the spot if her blonde idol was to finish that sentence with a "me." This was going all too fast for the little heiress as her imagination soared. She began to feel light headed. She composed herself and told herself repeatedly not to faint and not to rush into saying yes. Hyugas never rush nor do they faint. It was like a dream but it wasn't. It was really happening.

"-ke," he finished.

"W-What?" she asked just to make sure, she heard him right. She wasn't sure she heard the last part right.

"_Sasuke_ and _you_," he repeated with much emphasis as he pointing to the teen who gave her a cold stare. "Me and Sakura-chan, afterschool tomorrow. Have you met Sakura-chan? I'm sure you'll like her too! She's amazing and super friendly in a harsh sort of way."

Hinata's smile immediately went down. She couldn't believe herself for thinking that Naruto would ask her on a date. She would get closer to Naruto but she wouldn't _be_ with him. Plus, she didn't think that _Uchiha-san_ liked her much. He made that very clear to her when called her a pathetic stalker, ugly, and a few other hurtful things, but _Hyugas_ weren't that easily offended.

"What do you say, Hinata?" Naruto asked with a hopeful look.

"Sorry, I don't t-think I-I'll be able to m-make it," she stuttered. Lying wasn't her forte.

"Why?" he asked. Hinata couldn't think of anything to say as her face burned red with embarrassment for thinking of such fantasies. Naruto interpreted it as something else. "You got a boyfriend?"

"N-no!" she exclaimed. She didn't mean to say it that loud.

"Come on!" Naruto pleaded. "You'll be able to go on a date with _the_ Sasuke Uchiha!"

"I-I don't think h-he likes me," she confessed. Hinata wanted her first date to be with someone she liked, someone like Naruto.

"Sasuke isn't good with showing his emotions," Naruto stated. "He's a really nice guy, give him a chance."

Hinata was hesitant. Naruto gave her an adorable puppy dog face. She resisted the urge to give in which was very strong. She played the pros and cons in her head, and she deduced that she couldn't handle watching a happy Naruto on a date with someone else while the person she was with wanted her dead. It didn't sound very appealing to her.

"I'm sorry," she bowed, her voice sure. "But I am not interested."

"But it's _Sasuke Uchiha_!" Naruto emphasized. Hinata understood how much everyone seemed to idolize the raven haired boy. He was very popular with everyone, especially with the female population. However, Hinata wasn't one of those girls that had fallen for the Uchiha. She didn't find him that appealing. He was attractive, but to her Naruto was more attractive by a landslide.

"Give Uchiha-san my sincerest apologies," she bowed her head respectively.

"But you'll join us for ramen sometime, Hinata?" Naruto asked.

"Perhaps another time," Hinata affirmed.

"I'll hold you to that," Naruto said with a smile and grin. "See ya around!"

Hinata watched Naruto return to his seat next to the raven haired teen. He didn't look too happy as she saw him storm off. Hinata's phone buzzed and realized that she promised to meet up after Tenten was done with her volleyball practice. Tenten would be so happy to know that she, Hinata Hyuga, talked to Naruto Uzumaki. Hinata stumbled out of the school library and found herself at her locker collecting her book bag and a few other items. She was happy inside and couldn't help but smile madly. That's when realization hit her.

_I had a conversation with Naruto-kun! And I didn't faint!_

Excitement and joy rushed through her veins as she jumped up with joy and threw her arms into the air. The little heiress was so happy with the events that precipitated. She had finally had a _real_ conversation with Naruto Uzumaki and she didn't faint! Hinata felt more confident to talk to Naruto, now. Maybe she could give him that confession letter she had made for him. It was poetic and beautifully written and it was safe in her book bag. That way, he would know of her feelings for him. She felt that nothing could stop her now.

The joy she felt was about to spill over her. She had to tell Tenten soon or she was going to call Hanabi. Hinata ran through the school's hallways to find Tenten. She was her closest female friend. Tenten was part of the school's numerous sports clubs just like Neji and Lee, and it was about time the club activities were over. Hinata knew that Lee probably dragged Neji to do some sort of extra exercise routine such as running fifty laps around Leaf Academy on their hands. Tenten should be waiting for her at the front gate already.

As Hinata ran over to find her friend, she ran into someone as she turned the corner. The impact took her by surprise as she began to fall back. She dropped her book bag and its entire contents spilled out gently falling to the floor. An arm stretched and caught her before she could hit the ground.

Hinata smiled at her savior who had caught her. Her smile slowly dropped when onyx eyes bore through hers with the characteristic frown on his face. She was shocked to find who he was and so was he.

"Uchiha-san," Hinata breathed.

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><p><strong>AN**: This is my first time leaving it at a cliff-hanger-ish. So… how'd I do? Don't be cross! I promise to update.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** I actual think I'm going to continue this one to the _end_. So far, I'm thinking roughly 15-20 chapters. This one is a tad bit short for my taste but I had to take a part out because it seemed to flow better in the next installment.

**oh-tangled**: I don't care about what you say to me. Disown me as a friend, I dare you! Your life will be miserable without me. I've got better things to do like eating and sleeping. Remember, you said that I'm your Ted to your Barney. You won't find another adorkable being to replace me. :P

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN NARUTO.**

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><p><em>"Uchiha-san," Hinata breathed.<em>

Of all the people that had to run into! Hinata wasn't expecting on running into the Uchiha, and Hinata was willing to bet money that the Uchiha didn't want to see her at all with that piercing look on his face. Color drained from her face. She didn't mean to bump into the ebony haired teen. It was a mere accident and he looked pissed. Of course, they had to be alone again in the same hallway where he had falsely accused her of being a fan girl of his.

"C-can you, I uh," Hinata began to stammer on her words. "Y-you're." Patience wasn't something that the Uchiha had obtained and it was much shorter than usual due to the dumbass Naruto's annoying antics.

"What do you want?" he snapped at her. Hinata flinched at his words.

"Gomen," she apologized in a barely audible tone, "Your h-hand is hurting m-my arm."

Hinata's doe like eyes looked up at him. Fear and pain etched in her eyes, face pale and colorless. He could feel her tremble. Her clear white eyes looked at him, and Sasuke could see his own reflection in her lavender tinted eyes. Sasuke released her from his grasp and noticed how fragile the girl was. Her skin bruised easily. She fell to the floor and began to pick up her papers. She was so weak.

Sasuke just stood there, watching her pick up her papers with quivering hands. He didn't know what compelled him to be chivalrous at the moment. Perhaps it was because he felt sorry for her. Either way, Sasuke found himself crouching down and helping this stammering fool pick up the papers she clumsily dropped. That's when Sasuke's eyes caught something.

_She's a Hyuga._

Never would he have pegged her to be a Hyuga. All the Hyugas he knew where pompous, prideful, and he didn't give a damn about them. They were a prestigious family in Fire Country. It would explain the familiarity he recognized in her eyes. She was different from all the other Hyugas he met before her.

"T-thank you for the help," she thanked him with a bow as she hugged a book close to her chest. A weak smile was on her face and Sasuke could see how he much he intimidated her. Hinata began to leave, but Sasuke stopped her.

He didn't know what compelled him to grab her forearm, but he did. The indigo haired girl cried out in pain as her book dropped to the floor once again.

"It's hopeless, you know," Sasuke began.

"I h-have to go m-meet with a friend" she yelped.

She struggled to free herself from his grasp. The more she resisted, the more it seemed to hurt her.

"W-why are you so m-mean to me, Uchiha-san?" she asked. Fear was evident on her face as she cowered before him. Those death like glares she would receive from him, she would never understand why. She was about to break right before him. "I-Is it because of what happened at the l-library? I-"

"Don't flatter yourself, _Hyuga_," Sasuke spat. It isn't because of the date. Sasuke never asked for it. Naruto was the one that had the crazy notion, not him. If he wanted a date, he would have asked with his own words.

Hinata's face drained of color when her eyes met his. Her eyes grew wide and her knees became shaky. She hadn't been so fearful of her life since the incident she had with Neji four years ago. Honestly, she felt like she was going to be murdered with those onyx glares of his piercing through her soul. She didn't even know why Sasuke was so mean to her.

"Then why?" she inquired, her voice quaking all the more as time went by.

"You like Naruto," he deadpanned. Hints of life soon returned to the girl's once pale face. Her cheeks were flushed, and it wasn't red because of their close proximity. It was far from that. She was embarrassed that someone found out her secret.

"Eh?" she didn't mean to make the sound, but she was in pain.

"You like the dobe," he answered stressing out each word.

"I-I," her words began to fail her and her cheeks began to burn.

Was it that obvious that Sasuke Uchiha figured it all out? If so, did Neji know too? Neji was very perceptive. Hinata had only told Tenten about her crush. It couldn't be that obvious, was it? If Sasuke knew, then did he tell Naruto? Hinata's face began to grow red with embarrassment as questions filled her brain.

"It's hopeless," he repeated for her to hear again, and Sasuke didn't like repeating himself twice. But, Hinata seemed to have zoned out on him; the only person in this school capable of such thing. "The dobe has been in love with Sakura for a long time and blindly follows her."

Her eyes looked down to the floor and her bangs covered her face. Sasuke couldn't see the emotion she felt but it was evident in her cracking voice.

"I know that," she mumbled with her head hung low. Hinata knew that Sakura was the girl that Naruto liked. That was common knowledge at school. Naruto would always ask Sakura out on a date and she always denied him unless Sasuke would be there too. However, Naruto always remained persistent in his chase after Sakura and his persistence seemed to be slowly paying off.

"Then why follow him around like that?" he pressed. "It's pointless."

Hinata remained silent and began to play with the hem of her skirt. She wanted to escape it. This was stuff she knew already but she could still try. Fate isn't something that controls you. Fate is something that you can choose. Hinata knew all this info that he was telling her, but she still could change it, right? _She_ could change.

Her bangs helped shield her from looking into the Uchiha's abysmal eyes. Her body had stopped trembling as she stayed still absorbing his cruel words. She didn't want him to see how weak she was but she couldn't bring her head up high. Her hands began to curl and touch her lip, a habit of hers that only happens when she is completely and utterly terrified or nervous.

He scoffed at her. "Don't tell me it's because you love him. You can't even talk to him without losing your composure."

But, Hinata was absolutely positive that she did love him. The feelings that she felt for the blond had to be love. Sure, she lost her composure around him and all but she still had feelings for him. She read about it in books and has watched people fall in love. That was the feeling that she felt when she was near Naruto. Plus, she just talked him and she didn't faint! That had to count for something.

When Hinata first arrived at school, it didn't take long to know that this ebony haired teen was responsible for shattered hearts and a river full of tears at school. Again, what does he know about love when he pushes it away every time it approaches him? Sasuke Uchiha knew nothing of Hinata Hyuga, the young heiress. How dare he judge her!

"You're pathetic Hyuga. It's best that you forget about him," he added. "You don't even stand a chance next to Sakura."

His words continued to sting her. Tears threaten to fall down but she refused to let any fall. She promised herself that no one would see her cry like this ever again, let alone a someone she barely knew, but the truth was hard to believe and dreadfully painful.

Sakura Haruno.

Hinata paled to her. Sakura was considered one of the most beautiful girls in all the school with her beautiful, long, pink locks. She was smart, athletic, kind hearted, and such a perfect girl. She had a mesmerizing emerald gaze that captivated anyone who dared look her way, while Hinata's eyes tended to scare people aware. It wasn't because she was scary, it was mostly because they were weird and you couldn't really see her pupils.

Hinata tended to blend in with the crowd as in Sakura would demand attention without even asking for it. Hinata couldn't even consider herself a love rival with Sakura. There was no competition. Sakura already won Naruto's heart long before she ever arrived. But she didn't need to hear it all this from the bully before her.

"Then you understand," Sasuke began, she could see the teen's taunting smirk through her bangs. "Naruto will never-"

A hand slapped him across the face. Hinata didn't want him to finish that last sentence. Deep down, she knew it was the truth, but she didn't want to hear it _yet_. How could he do this to her? She hadn't even done anything wrong to deserve such treatment from him. He knew nothing from her, and here she was ready to accept all of those accusations. This Uchiha was mistaken. Hinata would not give up on her love. She already knew that her chances were slim but she could still try. Hinata was a fighter and she wouldn't allow this stranger to stop her.

"And what do you know about love?" Hinata challenged him, looking straight into his shocked ebony irises.

The Uchiha froze in place with wide eyes. His once pale cheek turned red at the spot she had hit. He could see the tears in her eyes filled with mixed emotions. He couldn't bring himself to answer her question. He was still shocked that a girl had back slapped him across his face. It wasn't that hard but it still stung his face. He could taste a little blood in his mouth and he couldn't feel his cheek. How dare she hit him!

"I know that Naruto is in love with Sakura!" she yelled at him. "I know that Naruto may never see me like that, but I can still try." Her voice began to fail her but she tried to be strong. She _had_ to be strong. "It would be enough for me to be his friend! But why?" Her jaw clenched and fists balled up. Her voice began to quiver. She refused to allow the tears fall down her face. Her Hyuga pride would not allow someone so low and pathetic to bring her down like this after she had a wonderful time with Naruto. She loved Naruto with all her heart. She hoped that in some way, Naruto could see her too with her actions. She was determined to find a way to convey her feelings towards the Uzumaki boy.

"But why must I hear it from you, you big meanie!" there was anger in her soft tone.

She quickly ran away. The tears were threatening to fall down her face. She wouldn't forgive herself if she cried but a few tears had failed her. With the back of her hand, she wiped her face clean of tears and forced a smile on her face when she saw Tenten waiting for her at the gates.

"Sorry I'm late, Hina-chan," Tenten greeted. "Neji won't be here. Lee dragged him into some extra conditioning for basketball practice."

"It's okay, Tenten-sempai," Hinata replied.

"You alright, Hinata?" Tenten asked.

"I'm fine," she answered.

Tenten gave her a questioning look. Hinata wasn't very good at hiding her emotions. Though she mostly kept to herself, people could read her like an open book. However, she wouldn't tell Tenten about the hallway with the Uchiha. Though she very much disliked the Uchiha, she wouldn't tell Tenten because she knew that Tenten would tell Neji and the two of them would beat the Uchiha to a pulp. She was considering it though and thought the Uchiha deserved it for making her so upset.

"You sure?" Tenten pressed. Her brown eyes looked with concern for her friend.

No, Hinata wouldn't allow the Uchiha, the school's number one heart throb, ruin her day. She wouldn't allow the things he told her to rob her of her chance of happiness. It would take a lot more than that to bring her down, she was a Hyuga after all.

"Just a little overwhelmed," Hinata answered with an assuring smile. "I talked to Naruto-kun today."

"Tell me details, now!" Tenten squealed with excitement for her friend.

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><p>"Dammit," Sasuke cursed aloud. He couldn't concentrate on studying for his stupid physics test. Just because he has good grades doesn't make him a genius at all. Those rumors were all lies. He was far from being a genius and he would always pale to Itachi in his father's eyes. Shikamaru Nara was the genius of the class despite how much of a lazy ass he is. Sasuke had to work his butt off for those grades. "Dammit!" he cursed again throwing an angry fist at his study desk.<p>

How could he concentrate studying for his physics test with the stupid events that transpired today? So much happened over the span of two fucking hours! Stupid Naruto. Stupid Hyuga. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

She had managed to get inside his head without even trying and she wasn't even present. Sasuke did try to help the girl with her Naruto problem, but there were a few obstacles that Sasuke had to face. Firstly, the blonde was absolutely heads over heels for Sakura Haruno since their elementary school days. No matter how much Sakura denies having feelings for Naruto, Sasuke knew better. Sakura doesn't know that she loves Naruto and that she simply likes the idea of having Sasuke to herself. The second problem, Naruto being the idiot that he is has this weird notion that Sasuke Uchiha harbors a liking to someone so weak. The Uzumaki was so dense, and it would take more than a few times to beat the idea out of his thick skull. Thirdly, he had to change the shy wallflower to something that Naruto would like, which is Sakura and ramen. Fourthly, if Sasuke was found with the indigo haired girl too often, rumors would erupt and Hinata's life would be in serious danger. Also, Sasuke wasn't the type of person to play cupid anyways.

The best solution for this whole mess seemed to be discouraging the indigo haired girl from advancing her feelings towards his oblivious friend. Harboring feelings towards the knucklehead would prove to be more painful than anything. Everything would end well and everybody would eventually forget this whole ordeal. Besieds, the girl couldn't possibly "love" that idiot! This is Naruto Uzumaki we're talking about here!

However, this girl surprised him , his plan of discouraging the girl from liking the dobe didn't fare well. Sasuke ruffled his dark tresses with his hand. He could still feel the sting on his cheek. He had awakened something in her that he didn't know someone as weak as her could posses. Sasuke brushed the cheek Hinata had hit with his fingertips. The little mouse could hit, he'll give her that.

Despite how annoying and ramen obsessed Naruto Uzumaki could be, Naruto was a true friend. Sasuke admired Naruto, to an extent. He would never admit that aloud, though.

Sasuke could not believe that he felt so guilty for making a girl cry. He should be used to that by now after rejecting so many females. Yet, he seemed so afflicted by this one girl's tears. These tears weren't even meant from him. This is his best friend's stalker we are talking about! He shouldn't be affected by such thing, nor should he be fazed by such childish insults. She had called him a big meanie. Why did that hurt when he had been called much worse?

Those tears that she held back before him weren't the tears he used to. Trust him, Sasuke knew tears well from all the hearts he didn't mean to hurt when he rejected chocolates, bento boxes, and love letters. Those tears were of desperation and not of love. Her tears, they were tears of something more pure and innocent, yet she still wanted to go through breaking her own fragile heart over the dobe. Something like that was so rare.

The raven haired boy couldn't blame Hinata for liking his best friend. Naruto was a true catch indeed, and this Hyuga liked Naruto for genuine reasons. He could tell that she wasn't attracted to the blond dumbass for shallow reasons either. That much Sasuke could tell by the look in her eyes. It amazed him how much emotion her eyes held. White orbs full of determination, admiration, hurt, acceptance, and something else. It was deep, real, and genuine admiration. Nothing like his crazy fangirls he had to deal with. How did Naruto catch the sane ones?

Sasuke didn't know this feeling in his chest. It was alien to him yet familiar at the same time. The way that girl felt for Naruto, it made the lone Uchiha wonder. His eyes averted to the book on his bed, then to the picture of his family that stood on his nightstand.

_Could someone love me like that ever again?_

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><p><strong>AN: **This seemed like a good place to end for now. The pacing will be rather slow. It pains me because I just want to jump to a happy ending but the story needs to develop along with much needed humor. Anyways, please rate and review. Reviews make me happy and encourage me to keep writing. Constructive criticism will always be helpful and regarded.


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER**: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO.

**A/N**: No excuse for the late update. Sorry, **oh-tangled** for not updating my other stories. You know how I am still grieving over Naruto's ending, just the fact that it is over. Maybe I'll have my other stories ready for you next year. I'm halfway done rewriting it. ;)

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><p>Naruto let out an exasperated sigh. He was tired. Who knew that matchmaking would be so hard?<p>

"I think she likes him," Sai said with one of his signature smiles as he walked next to him.

"You're kidding, right?" Naruto asked, but he couldn't decipher Sai's emotionless expression.

Perhaps it was Naruto's own fault for seeking help from someone who was socially inept like Sai. It was a terrible mistake. Sai didn't know simple emotions like happy, sad, anger, inappropriate. How much more for the complicated ones like love?

"You should have kept quiet," Naruto answered back.

"I don't understand," Sai began, "I thought I was helping."

Naruto understood Sai's deficiency in understanding emotions. At least Sai tried to help. Shikamaru, the lazy genius of the class, said it would be too troublesome and that it wasn't worth the effort. Suigustsu laughed and Juugo said he was busy. Sakura wouldn't believe him neither would Ino or his cousin, Karin. It was just him and Sai playing cupid.

Hinata wasn't like most girls that fawned over him. She appeared to be repulsed by him. _Perhaps that's why Sasuke-teme likes her!_ Naruto reasoned. Sasuke found a girl who didn't swoon over his charm. Sasuke was a challenge and this girl challenged him. Plus, Sasuke did tell him that he did like girls with long hair and Hinata did have really long hair. Or was that a rumor?

"You were trying to make Sasuke appeal to Hinata, am I correct, Dickless?" Sai asked.

"You caused her to run away," Naruto stated.

How could such soft-spoken and kind girl have such dislike towards Sasuke. Naruto knew that Sasuke was rude, blunt, sour-faced pretty boy, his rival, a stupid perfectionist, and an irritating guy - and there was a bunch of other crap - but Uchiha Sasuke was still Naruto's best friend.

"She probably saw the error of her ways and ran back to him," Sai suggested. Naruto shook his head. That wasn't even close to what he witnessed. "Did _you_ do something wrong?"

"Me?!" Naruto cried. "This is all your fault!"

"How?" Sai asked with a confused expression."Dickless, but it seemed like you needed help making Sasuke seem desirable."

"That's no reason to talk about Sasuke's penis in front of Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Was it wrong of me?" Sai asked.

"Yes!" Naruto affirmed. "You shouldn't talk about things like that to her or to anyone."

No matter how much the pale teen read about emotions by people who have their doctorates, Sai couldn't quite comprehend or apply what he learned. Naruto was simply helping him and Sai thought it was a good idea to help Naruto play matchmaker. He read about it in books. He couldn't understand what he did wrong. Didn't he make Sasuke seem manlier? Apparently, you weren't supposed to talk about that. Sai jotted down theses notes on his notepad. Emotions were complicated and love seemed to be more complex for Sai.

"But Karin and Sakura don't seem to mind," Sai reasoned.

"It's because Sakura's a closet perv," Naruto stated.

"Sakura, the Pink Pervert," Sai said. It did have a better ring to it than Ugly. He wondered if it would be more endearing.

"Let's go to the cafeteria," Naruto suggested, "matchmaking is so tiring."

* * *

><p>Hinata Hyuga was running through the halls. What did she do to deserve such treatment? She just wanted to give Naruto, her crush, some freshly bakes cookies from her home-ec. class. It was the first time ever she had made cookies on her own and they smelled so good. She was going to offer Naruto the cookies she made but Sai, the pale teen, insisted in talking about Sasuke and love. Hinata didn't want to be reminded of him. However, when she politely tried to change the subject, Sai went into some things that she didn't want to know about the Uchiha. The subject of Sasuke's manliness made the pink rush out of her face and replace it with a ghastly complexion. There were so many things that she wished she could un-hear. She was afraid that she was going to faint from all the information she was getting so she ran away covering her ears.<p>

Maybe she should try to talk to Naruto again. Naruto invited her to a group date, well it wasn't really date. It was a get together that was happening tomorrow. However, she couldn't waste a perfectly good batch of cookies freshly made. It was true that in two months, Hinata hadn't made that many friends because of her timid demeanor. She had only talked to Naruto and he already referred to her as a friend.

Hinata began to retrace her steps back to Naruto. When she had met him, it was in the science wing in Kabuto's Anatomy class. Maybe he was still there. Once she arrived, she looked for her blond friend but couldn't find him. However, she did find a blond girl in the classroom who informed her that Naruto had left and gone to the nurse's office. Hinata made her way to the nurse's office where Shizune pointed out where Naruto was staying. She was about to enter the infirmary when she heard a voice that accompanied with Naruto's.

"You're such a great friend for coming to visit me," Naruto joked.

"What did you do this time?" Sasuke asked.

Hinata didn't like the Uchiha at all. He was mean, rude, self-centered, cruel, negative, inconsiderate, and plain out mean! She found it difficult to believe that Naruto would befriend such cruel person. She understood her cousin completely when he told her not to be involved with such bad blood.

"It's not even my fault," Naruto muttered with his arms across his chest.

"So I guess the rumors are true," the Uchiha began, "you got beat up by Sakura, _again_."

"No!" Naruto shouted. "I fell down the stairs running from Sakura after Sai called Sakura the Pink Pervert."

"Hn." Sasuke said. He didn't have much words to say for that. It would explain why Sai was unconscious next to Naruto.

"You're taking her side!" Naruto exclaimed. Sasuke began to walk towards the door in which Hinata began to panic for she was on the other side. "You're leaving me here, alone in this infirmary."

"You have Sai right next to you," Sasuke pointed to the pale boy next to him who lay unconscious. "I have to get to my afternoon classes. Lunch break is almost over."

Naruto's stomach let out a ferocious growl. "Could you get me something to eat?" Naruto asked sheepishly.

Sai and Naruto had gone to find Hinata and invite her to eat lunch with the whole gang, but it wasn't as productive as he thought it to be because of Sai's attempt to make Sasuke appear manlier. Sakura had gone to find them since it wasn't like Naruto to be late to lunch. Then Sai called Sakura a new nickname that she did not like and that was when chaos erupted.

"I have ramen in my locker. I'd get it myself but Shizune-san won't let me leave until after next period is over," Naruto informed.

Sasuke let out a sigh for his more than helpless friend. He dug through his book bag and pulled out a box covered in a pink handkerchief. "Here." Sasuke handed him the box.

Naruto instantly recognized it. It was Sakura's. Sakura was excited for her baking cookies that she worked hours beforehand to be able to make the perfect batch and be able to replicate it in their cooking class and be able to prove her superiority to Ino.

"Sakura gave that to you," Naruto stated. "You should eat it."

"I don't want it," Sasuke answered back.

"But she worked so hard to ba-"

"I hate sweets," Sasuke deadpanned.

"You know, Sakura really likes you," Naruto informed. "She put so much time and effort into making this for you. She says she even lo-"

"Just take the damn box or it's going in the trash," Sasuke stated. "You know my disdain for sweets."

"Fine," Naruto said as he swiped the box away before Ssauke could toss it in the trash. Something like this deserved to be cherished and admired. However, it wasn't meant for him.

"If you're going to stare at it, then I might as well get you your instant ramen," Sasuke told him in which Naruto beamed and Hinata panicked.

The little Hyuga was still behind the door. She froze as she began to think of what to do. She heard the Uchiha's step come closer and closer. If she was to sprint out, the Uchiha would notice her and there were not that many places to hide. The Uchiha would surely catch her eavesdropping, and it would affirm that she was indeed a creepy stalker and she did not want that. However, she would prove him wrong. With a new spirit, she swung the door open.

"Naruto-kun!" she exclaimed in her soft voice.

"Teme!"

Naruto's little outburst in laughter made the little heiress cringe. That's when she noticed that there was a person behind the door. Hinata blushed in embarrassment.

"Are you alright?" Hinata asked out of courtesy. She didn't mean to but the evil side of her was glad that she did hit him.

Sasuke revealed himself as he clutched his nose. "Ecstatic," he said to humor her. He dusted himself off. It seemed like every time, Sasuke would run into this girl something bad always happened and it always happened to him.

"Teme!" Naruto exclaimed. "Your nose is bleeding!"

Sasuke looked at his hand, and sure enough there was red liquid. There were a few drops on his uniform too.

Hinata went through her bag and shuffled for a handkerchief. She found the her white one. The one that she wrapped around the box she was going to give to Naruto. Hinata gave it to him and Sasuke took.

"Thanks, Hyuga," he said sarcastically as he began to clean himself up.

Naruto snickered. "You gave teme a bloody nose."

"I didn't mean to," she stammered. "It - it was an accident."

"Don't worry, Sasuke-teme won't hold it against you," Naruto said.

Hinata looked down at her feet as she began to play with her fingers. She was so embarrassed. She hurt one of Naruto's closest friends.

"Cheer up," Naruto said with an assuring smile. "You can have one of Sakura's cookies. They're really good."

When their eyes made contact, Hinata couldn't help but look away and her cheeks began to flush a shade of red. "What are you doing here, Hinata?" Naruto asked. "Are you sick? The flu has been going around."

"That's not it," Hinata answered. She understood why Naruto thought she was sick. Her cheeks were burning bright out of embarrassment and being with her crush made them flare. "I heard that y-you were in the infirmary. I wanted to make sure you were okay, N-Naruto-kun."

"Thanks, Hinata," Naruto said. "I can assure you I am fine. I just fell down a few flights of stairs."

Hinata debated whether or not she should give Naruto the cookies she made from class. She knew what was inside the pink box that Naruto held. Sakura Haruno made the best chocolate chip cookies in her entire class. Anko-sensei said so herself. Hinata's paled in comparison to the pinkette. However, she had gotten this far. She wouldn't stop. She wouldn't be intimidated by perfection.

"Actually, I wanted to give you something," Hinata confessed.

"Really, what is it?" Naruto asked.

She dug through her book bag and clutched the box that held her sweet treats. Nothing could stop her now... except for the bell and Shizune checking up on Sai.

"I must have forgotten it," Hinata lied. "I guess I'll give it to you later."

"Okay then," Naruto said. "See you around."

Hinata waved good-bye and exited the room. She mentally cursed herself. Why had she given up the last second. She pulled out the brown box that contained her chocolate cookies. Maybe it was for the better that he did not try her cooking. Something like this belonged in the trash.

"Liar," a raven haired teen accused.

"Uchiha-san!" Hinata exclaimed. "You were eavesdropping." He had been eavesdropping on them. Then again, she was eavesdropping on them too.

"I wouldn't have to, but someone gave me a bloody nose," Sasuke professed.

"S-Sorry," Hinata apologized.

"Why didn't you do it?" he asked her as he pointed at the brown box.

Hinata didn't answer right away as she made her way to the nearest trash can. "Sakura-san."

"Whatever happened to not giving up?" Sasuke asked.

"Excuse me?" Hinata looked at him in confusion. Had she heard him correctly? Last week, he had told her to give up on the blond Uzumaki. He was mean, rude, blunt, self-centered, probably narcissistic too. Why would he help her?

"I thought you said you were going to try despite Naruto being head over heels for Sakura," the Uchiha stated.

Generally, Sasuke enjoyed the silence. This he did not like. The way her white eyes looked at him. It was... weird. It was a puzzled expression. One, that no one had ever gave him. It was like she was trying to see through him and not in any perverted way. He broke her gaze when he grabbed the brown box.

"Look, it can't be that bad," Sasuke said as he grabbed one and plopped it in his mouth.

"Well?" Hinata asked with hopeful eyes.

"What the hell is it supposed to be?" he asked. He had eaten it without knowing what it was.

"Chocolate chip cookies," the indigo haired girl answered.

Did Uchiha Sasuke just eat a chocolate chip cookie but wait, weren't cookies supposed to be sweet? Perhaps, the Sasuke lost blood from his head during his nosebleed. Sasuke had better as a child but the Hyuga's cookies weren't exactly the worse. Deidara had cooking that can literally kill with how explosive he was with the ingredients, but perhaps Deidara had a rival in that title.

"Bitter," the Uchiha answered as he tried to swallowed the rest of it. It was very bitter. "You forgot sugar."

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: I've read so many fics where Hinata is an amazing cook. I can see her being a good cook when she's an adult but not when she's younger. I picture her being a terrible at first like getting flour everywhere, forgetting a few things because she gets overexcited and overzealous, and being clueless because she's an heiress and never has to worry about making food because she's always had food accessible to her. Does that make sense? Happy New Years!

Special thanks to **Yudoku Kabe-no-Hana **and **DUH BOMB**for PMing me to continue.


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